ID-11 vs. D-76 question

[karthik]

Hi everyone,

I have a couple of questions regarding ID-11 & D-76. Almost all the info I find online says that D-76 and ID-11 are the same as far as the actual developing chemicals are concerned, and the only difference is in the use/absence of sequestering agents. But I am not able to reconcile this with the following:

• 
  ID-11 in 1+3 is considered OK by Ilford and one of the docs on ilfordphoto.com gives times for their films in D-76 at 1+3. I've also seen 1+3 times on the Massive Dev Chart and have been using ID-11 1+3 for Arista Premium 100 (exposed at 100). But I found this thread http://photo.net/film-and-processing-forum/0077de stating that D-76 in 1+3 is not recommended by Kodak.

• 
  This page http://silvergrain.org/Photo-Tech/d-76.html states that the original formulation of D-76 slightly increases in activity with storage, but I have not seen a similar comment anywhere about ID-11. Is this behaviour not seen in the current formulation of ID-11?

Thanks --- RK

 

[Ian Grant]

In use they are identical, there's minor differences in the buffering, D76 has Boric acid and is somewhere between the original formula & D76d. ID-11 may have slightly more Borax than the original which gives better pH control at 1+3.

Ian

 

[markbarendt]

RK

One thing to keep in mind here is that all those ratios and times are suggestions; starting points, not rules.

If you like the result, it's right.

 

[karthik]

RK
If you like the result, it's right.

I liked the ID-11 1+3 more than 1+1. But then I also had a month between the two sessions. So, I was curious if the increase in sharpness (perceived, may not be really true - based on enlargments from 35mm to 5x7) was due to the change in dilution or an ageing effect. (Everything else - temperature, agitation - was consistent between the two sessions).

I am going to use D-76 for the next session and was worried if 1+3 is a bad idea for D-76. But I guess 1+3 for D-76 is as safe as it was for ID-11.